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V-Best
Norman Mailer , and
David Bowie
Manufacturer: Edition 7L
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ASIN: 3865210287
Release Date: 2005-09-15 |
Book Description
Within the pages of V Best is the best of V magazine; a publication that doesn't fit on most bookshelves, not to mention magazine racks. V's large format is not the only thing that sets it apart, however; the magazine's temperament and style place it in a privileged spot among periodicals. V was launched in September, 1999, as the younger sibling publication to the limited-edition quarterly, Visionaire. But if Visionaire is a couture book, V is ready-to-wear--visually driven, international in scope, and collaborative in spirit. V is a magazine about fashion with a capital F, and all the things that go with it: art, music, film, architecture. Before V was put into print, the founders conceptualized it as a wall of 44 televisions, each tuned to a different station. Today you would need a wall of 250 televisions, but it's still a good way to think of the insane and unpredictable mix of people, places, and things that V celebrates in its pages. Here is a place where uptown meets downtown, celebrities mingle with total unknowns, high art converses with underground culture; all reflected through spreads, photography, and design. In the five years since its launch, V has grown up a lot, and the idea of grown-up and underground seems about as oxymoronic as wearing a thrift store T-shirt with an obscenely expensive designer bag. Which is to say, not at all. Chic, wacky, fun, fabulous . . . In a letter: V. The publication of V Best marks V's fifth anniversary and while the editors like to think of every issue as an instant hit, they've taken the best-of-the-best from their archive, bringing together everything from fashion stories by contributors like Mario Testino, Inez Van Lamsweerde, Vinoodh Matadin, and Karl Lagerfeld, to talks with celebrities as diverse as Janet Jackson, Norman Mailer, Helmut Lang, Beyonc Knowles, and David Bowie. This deluxe, two-volume, slipcased edition includes a voucher for a free copy of V-Best magazine, along with a large, folded poster.
Book Description
In October, 2002, David Bowie performed the New York City Marathon Tour. Five different nights in five different venues in each of New York's five boroughs. It was a tribute to New York, and a tribute to his fans. For the first time in over fifteen years, he let a photographer follow him on tour, capturing a David Bowie we've never seen before. Myriam Santos-Kayda, acclaimed portrait photographer for the music industry, has captured David Bowie in rehearsal, in the dressing room, onstage and backstage, alone and hanging out with his band. Bowie, one of rock's most influential and enduring figures, reveals his complexity, humor, grace, and rigor as an artist and performer. About the Marathon tour, Bowie writes, The last time I came through the Northeast it was on the Area 2 Tour. We played in amphitheaters, which are usually a good distance from the major cities. Marathon courses are strategically planned to bring the runners to the streets. I would like to repay the fans that traveled so far to see me by bringing my show to them. But most importantly, I could get hom from all the gigs on roller skates." David Bowie: Live In New York is an intimate portrait of one of rock and roll's most exciting events of the decade. The Bowie Tour: October 2003 - April 2004.
Customer Reviews:
Arty or out of focus?.......2005-10-06
I have to say that after all the hype I was very disappointed when I got my copy of this book. I have expected a fascinating glimpse of Bowie backstage. Instead I got a book with a load of out of focus pictures which, as an amateur photgrapher myself, I would have been too embarassed to publish. Maybe they are supposed to be arty, but they do nothing whatsoever for me. Come to think of it, if I got together all the out of focus shots I've taken of Bowie I might have a book of my own to publish. Anyone interested?
A Piece of Bowie Heaven!.......2003-12-28
I got into Bowie when all my favorite bands were claiming him as an inspiration. I Figured I should find out why. I now get the Bowie that all my friends talked about for years. Everytime he released a new album, they bought it the first day out. Which is what I do now.
I wouldn't have been able to appreciate this book 2 years ago to it's fulliest. I would have been in awe of the photographs beauty, but not the Bowie part of it. Now I get Bowie and now I know how special this insiders look into this music God is. The images are superb. And to take it one step further, they are superb images of BOWIE! The only text in this book is Bowie's own foreword, the images speak for themselves. It's Bowie as this new fan craved to see.
Private Bowie Photo Journal.......2003-12-16
I feel like I'm viewing Bowie's own private memories of this tour.
There isn't hardly any text, just Bowie's own introduction, and the
rest are beautiful photos. It's obvious that Bowie gave his seal of approval by writing the foreword, and then you are just left alone to enjoy the art. I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I bought this book, but it has become one of my favorite photo books I own.
Pics are great, text is sorely lacking.......2003-12-04
I was VERY disappointed by this book. Yes, the pics are great, but it would've been nice to have some text to go along with them (i.e. background stories, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, interviews...)!
BEST ROCK BOOK EVER.......2003-11-14
I wrote a review for the amazon UK site, not sure if it tranfers over to this one. I love this book. The photographs are beautiful,
all black and white, all stunning. It's Bowie like I've never seen him before and I've been a fan for a very long long time.
It's not just a great photography art book. It's not just a great David Bowie book, it's both. I just bought this book for my friend's birthday and they loved it.
Book Description
Investment Mathematics provides an introductory analysis of investments from a quantitative viewpoint, drawing together many of the tools and techniques required by investment professionals.
Using these techniques, the authors provide simple analyses of a number of securities including fixed interest bonds, equities, index-linked bonds, foreign currency and derivatives. The book concludes with coverage of other applications, including modern portfolio theory, portfolio performance measurement and stochastic investment models.
Download Description
This work provides a thorough grounding in investment mathematics together with applications in the investment area. The book is designed for students of finance and investment, and will prove an essential source of reference for practitioners within the securities and investment industry worldwide. Investment Mathematics is divided into three parts. Part I looks at the fundamental analysis of investments from a mathematical viewpoint, relying heavily on compound interest techniques which are developed in the first chapter. The material is presented in such a way that those without formal training in mathematics will be able to follow the text without difficulty. Part II provides the necessary statistical background for investment specialists. Like Part I, the approach assumes little formal mathematical training. Finally, the book deals with a number of specialist topics which are applications of the material covered earlier, including modern portfolio theory and asset pricing, market indices, portfolio performance measurement, stochastic investment models and the theoretical pricing of options. Investment Mathematics is an accessible text which will provide readers with a sound analytical framework within which the valuation of investments and investment in a wider context may be studied.
Customer Reviews:
Poorly presented, no use.......2004-04-22
It just like a series of unreadable words with equations. Poorly presented with not much explanation. Waste of time.
A Great non-calc/non-linear algebra Financial Math book.......2004-03-13
*Investment Mathematics* is the best (and perhaps only) book that deals with financial mathematics in a serious and useful way without requiring much in the way of math prerequisits (pre-calculus/linear algebra math ... actually a little bit of calculus knowledge would help, but it isn't absolutely necessary). With the potential audience for such a book, I'm surprised that this is the first review of this book.
Unlike other books that don't quite live up to the hype in its backcover descriptions, this book does live up precisely to the descriptions on the cover (and in Amazon's info section). I won't repeat what is written there. To sum up the book very briefly, it covers a wide swathe of issues in financial mathematics that range from basic issues like interest rates and the time value of money all the way up to advanced topics like modern portfolio theory, option pricing, ARCH/GARCH, and Value at Risk.
One thing to note in particular is that this is one of the few finance/investment books that I have seen that goes into detail about downside risk calculations (i.e., "semi-variance"). Most other books, even books that are on a more advanced level, often neglect to deal with the subject or just does some handwaving about it. The authors actually give you the mathematical gist of it in the book.
One of the more useful aspects of this book is not given in the descriptions: It has several sidebars that gives some tips on how to use Excel to implement the models discussed in a practical setting. There are other books that go into more detail (such as *Advanced Modelling in Finance and Investment Using Excel and VBA*) but the authors ought to be commended for putting information about Excel just in case people don't own those other books.
A much more important reason for why I am impressed with this book is that the authors do an excellent and mathematically accurate job of going over the mathematics of finance that doesn't require calculus or linear algebra. I can't think of any other book besides this one that I am familiar with that actually deal with the underlying mathematical logic of finance. Most other books on finance deal with the math on a cookbook level. It is truly refreshing to see a book that helps the reader to see inside the 'black box' of mathematics to see WHY financial formulae and methods are constructed the way they are.
In connection with the point made above, I also appreciated the useful prose, descriptions, pictures, and sidebars that dealt with potentially useful mathematical details and tidbits - like the mechanics of geometric series and the relative positions of the mean, median, and mode, in various distributions - that are not included in most books on finance that I'm aware of. Some of those details may seem basic and trivial, but it is nice to have that information in one place (and/or not have to run to a non-finance math/stat book) and is very instructive for people for whom such details are not trivial.
The only weakness of this book is one of the book's strength: It's lack of calculus and linear algebra. E.g., even when it talks about stochastic models, it really doesn't get into stochastic calculus. On advanced topics such as MPT, option pricing, ARCH/GARCH, etc., the goal seems to be to build intuition. However, this is a rather limited goal. One cannot truly grasp the complexity of those advanced topics without delving into calculus, linear algebra, and advanced probability and statistical theory. For people who are interested in getting a relatively accessible intro into those topics, I would recommend books by people like Paul Wilmott.
So, in summary, I believe that this book will be a useful introduction to financial mathematics pre-calculus/linear algebra. For those looking to get into more advanced topics in financial mathematics, I would highly recommend this book because it gives an excellent overview of those advanced topics and can serve as a bridge to more advanced issues.
In fact, I would recommend this book to some people who consider themselves to be quants dealing with financial math on a higher-level than does this book. Why? Because I strongly believe that many people - even highly sophisticated people - often received cookbook training in financial modeling. Therefore, many people don't understand the basic logical underpinning of what they are doing! *Investment Mathematics* remedies that situation by doing an excellent job of dealing with the mathematical logic of 'basic' financial mathematical models.
Further recommendations: The only other book that I know of that comes close (but is not quite as comprehensive) to dealing with the logical underpinnings of financial formulae/methods and provides useful tidbits on financial math is *Puzzles of Finance* by Mark Kritzman. Another book with a similar zeitgeist (and target audience) as *Investment Mathematics* - but focused in on financial risk - is *Fundamentals of Risk Measurement* by Marrison.
Book Description
In 1972 David Bowie released the iconic LP The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, which established him as a major force in modern pop music. It was also his platform to present a visually fascinating and sexually ambivalent stage persona called Ziggy Stardust. Simultaneously, Bowie befriended the famed rock-and-roll photographer, Mick Rock, whom he invited to chronicle his Ziggy persona on film. Mick Rock amassed an amazing archive of footage that traces the entire stratospheric two-year career of Ziggy Stardust-from the early acclaim to the pivotal American tours, and the final blockbuster concert that marked Ziggy's retirement.Ziggy was a combination of extraordinary costumes, colorful makeup, outrageous hair, and-above all-first-class rock. More than 650 of Mick Rock's compelling pictures reflect his amazing collaboration-and friendship-with Bowie. The result of this incredible collaboration is a vast album of images of onstage performances and backstage antics. Together, David Bowie's text and Mick Rock's images trace the rise and final swansong of Ziggy Stardust. This affordably priced edition will be a must-have for every fan.
Customer Reviews:
Bowie's Personal Mythology.......2007-07-05
Gosh, I paid full price for this book; lucky you, you have some options! On a scale of photography books on David, 10 being the highest rating, I would rate this about 7.2. Artistically rendered, it's a great book on the creation of Ziggy Stardust (but there are better photo books available). Ziggy, an iconic rock figure, was developed and performed by Bowie in the early '70's. You get great photos by Mick Rock, almost all in color. Can't say I really liked David's look during the early days of that period. He was supposedly "into" his bisexuality by this time, and workin' it. He should have been exploring the refrigerator! Because he looked malnourished and simpering, as if he hadn't had a decent meal since he lost his first manager, Ken Pitt. Honestly! No, I'm sure he wasn't eating: he was starving. So I believe his brain was hungry, and that's the reason his recall of the time is distorted. (That's what I'm telling myself about this book.) He was in a process of developing Ziggy, who got better with the next few years of performance. By the time the dream of Ziggy was perfected, Bowie trashed him. (David Bowie is not someone to be trapped.)
The writing is Bowie's, so you get some fun anecdotes. But I was severely disappointed that The Man didn't tell the truth. He didn't give his first wife, Angela, any acknowledgment about her participation in his creative enterprises whatsoever. I take that stuff personally and find it hurtful. Still? After dwelling on it for 6 months, I can't blame him. Celebrities have to be careful, or they will be sued. God knows, Madonna has had to pay-off everyone in her life... And Bowie has had to pay everyone off not once, but twice. Bowie has paid through the teeth! And that's just the sad fact of walking in his high-heels.
one of the greats.......2007-06-27
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book - beautifully constructed with spell-binding photos and an extraodinary opportunity to read the man himself. perfect for anyone who loves all that is Bowie.
very cool if you are bowie fan.......2007-03-09
this is one of the most interesting book that i seen it has a lot of pics from early in his career
is one of the you keep for collection
TOTAL BLAM-BLAM!!.......2005-12-03
Ten Thousand Stars for living legend Mick Rock ********** Inspiring, fantastical, beautiful and even hysterically funny, [yes David Bowie is quite funny here in his rare act of putting pen to paper]. Moonage Daydream is the perfect book for any fan of David Bowie and Mick Rock or any fan of rock and the rock n' roll supergods, like Iggy, Lou, and the rest. Spectacular spreads of never-before-seen photos from the US/UK Ziggy tour and stills from Mick's ground-breaking music videos reproduced along with actual tour memos make for a very special experience. You'll almost feel like you were there. Sit down and share this with a friend or two.
An absolute MUST HAVE book. Buy it now, you'll be so glad you did! You should also buy Mick Rock's 'Blood and Glitter'-- one of the most exciting rock photography books out there today.
Almost Perfect.......2005-09-30
This book would be simply superb, but David yet again decided to be coy about revealing details of the Ziggy period. He seems uncomfortable with the bisexuality aspect, which is a rather integral part of the whole Glam scene, to be honest. He also doesn't go into much depth in actually describing Ziggy-the-character as *he* sees him, which is a little disappointing. The writing is quality, but unrevelatory for the most part.
On the bright side, he's often quite funny, and there *are* several juicy little stories to catch one's interest. The meat of the book is, naturally, Mick Rock's beautiful photography, which just can't be beat if you're a whore for Ziggy images (like me). The oodles of rare photographs from the very beginning to the very end of Zig's short life will be sure to delight. There are also several of Rock's hand-written articles and Bowie's lyric pages reproduced within, as well as many (often hilarious) on-tour memos from the camp leader. Also included are typical set-lists, and complete gig listings for each of the U.K., U.S., and Japanese tours.
For fashion-lovers, this tome is a must-have; better visual documentation of the fantastic costumes and outfits worn by this notoriously fashionable creature would probably only be found in Masayoshi Sukita's book, which is sadly not available in the West. Despite its lack of written detail, this is a fabulous book for Ziggy-lovers. David is simply stunning in his satin, tat, mascara and rouge, and you'd be a fool to pass by such beauty.
Highly recommended!
Product Description
With a foreword by David Bowie, here is a seminal collection of images of the glam rock era taken by legendary photographer Mick Rock. Includes outstanding photos of David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, and a host of other characters that defined the movement.
Customer Reviews:
simply fabulous.......2006-05-05
Mick Rock is one talented man - and in case you didnt know this, it would become very apparent to you by viewing just one of his many amazing photographs.
Great book with fantastic images, witty and insightful quotes, and a comprehensive look into some of the most legenday and unique artists of our time.
Only small complaint is that the binding is not all that superb. After a few views, sections become loose and seperate slightly.
Overall, one amazing collection!
(Bowie fans will be especially delighted by DB's foreword and vast array of pics. Also, Mick's "Moonage Daydream" is a MUST)
Beautiful book.......2006-04-29
This book is an artistic series of glimpses into this beautiful era of music. It is not a history or a documentary, but the collection of stunning candid and posed images, interspersed with short quotations and anecdotes (in addition to David Bowie's foreword.) These photographs are gorgeous, and some of them are published for the first time in this book.
The most space is given to David Bowie, but there are many beautiful images of Queen, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, some of Debbie Harry, Syd Barrett and many others (there are a number of images from the Rocky Horror Picture Show, too!)
The only negative aspect of the book is that some of the larger images that cover two pages lose a bit in the crease between them. In a few images, the crease runs right through someone's nose.
I recommend the book to fans of glam rock in general, Mick Rock's photography in particular, and admirers of any of the artists featured. I would probably enjoy these photographs if I wasn't a fan, though, and you might too.
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- Iman
- A living Legend
- She Is Iman
- I Am Iman
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I Am Iman
Iman , and
Peter H. Beard
Manufacturer: Universe Publishing
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The Beauty of Color: The Ultimate Beauty Guide for Skin of Color
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Fine Beauty
ASIN: 0789306336
Release Date: 2001-11-10 |
Book Description
Iman's emergence in 1975 sparked an upheavel in cultural identity that continues today, and her first book is a gloriously entertaining hybrid essay on the cultural-cum-political power of good looks.
A quarter century of the most famous photographs by Helmut Newton, Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts, Peter Lindbergh, Bruce Weber, Scavullo, David Bailey, Nick Knight, and many others are contextualized by well-known essayists, a chorus of celebrity contributions, and Iman's own take on her much-mythologized career. The book's outrageous pop design--by graphic designers Barnbrook Studios--makes it plain that this is not just one woman's success story. I Am Iman captures the funny, infuriating, and often absurd validation of black and ethnic looks in a beauty industry where billions of dollars--and the self-image of women everywhere--are on the line.
Peeks behind the curtain and scintillating interviews are courtesy of feminist critic bell hooks, Interview editor Ingrid Sischy, model and manager Bethann Hardison, and such celebrities as Cindy Crawford, Yves St. Laurent, Naomi Campbell, Bruce Weber, Tyra Banks, and many more. With graphic design featuring gatefolds, diecuts, and other interactive elements, as well as specially commissioned, never-before-seen images by Annie Leibowitz, Ellen Von Unwerth, Sante D'Orazio, and Michel Comte, this book is an assemblage worthy of any fashionista's dream.
Customer Reviews:
oh.......2005-07-07
Interesting pictures. Very few stories. I was hoping for a better book from IMAN
Iman.......2005-03-06
This book, although brief, is a better than average book by a model.
Iman adds more than just the basics; she provides her insights into what it means to her to be a black model as opposed to how society views it.
It should not be expected to be an in-depth biography. Iman describes important events in her life: her early life, leaving her country, entering the modeling world. She does not tell many minor stories or go into excruciating details about why she feels the way she does about certain things or why specific people were chosen to add to her book.
This book is that of an artist. The comments from friends and colleagues add to the pages and they way they are displayed is artistic and grabbing.
The photographs, many which are nude or "artistic nudes," are beautiful and abundant.
Overall, this is a book that people interested in models should read.
A living Legend.......2004-12-01
I loved this book, and it contains amazing photographs of a beautiful woman.
She is a legend and it's easy to see why...
A+++
She Is Iman.......2003-07-14
*~*
This is one of my favorite books. Visually exotic, it brings out the woman we know as Iman. I truly has some of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen. Definitely worth every penny.
As a Somali, I'm very proud of everything she does, which are all honourable work. So maybe I'm baised. Buy the book and see it for yourself. This woman rocks!
I Am Iman.......2003-02-04
All pictures - few words. This is the book for people who look. If you like to read, it's not the book for you.
Amazon.com
Ever since the day in March 1836 when an obscure Spanish mission in Texas fell to Mexican forces led by President Santa Anna, Americans have been exhorted to "remember the Alamo." And remember it we do--primarily as the place where American folk legends Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Travis met their end fighting for Texas independence. Though it is primarily the Alamo we remember today, the battle itself takes up just a few pages of William C. Davis's Three Roads to the Alamo; Davis is far more interested in what brought three such disparate men as Crockett, Bowie, and Travis to Texas in the first place than in how they died there. As any schoolchild knows, Davy Crockett was the "king of the wild frontier," a bona fide folk hero in his own time who rode his legend to political office first in Tennessee and then as a United States congressman. Bowie was both less well known and less heroic--a land speculator not above resorting to fraud and forgery to get what he wanted, while William Travis, the youngest of the three, brought little but potential with him to Texas.
Davis does a good job of illuminating both the personalities of his subjects and the situation in which they found themselves in Texas. He thoroughly explores the lives of these three men--their successes, their failures, their hopes for the future--and lays out the arguments for and against Texan independence from Mexico in which they found themselves embroiled. By the time Crockett, Bowie, and Travis finally arrive at the Alamo, it seems the inevitable conclusion to the roads they each have been traveling over the course of their lifetimes. Three Roads to the Alamo is a fine piece of historical research and an entertaining read, as well.
Book Description
Three Roads to the Alamo is the definitive book about the lives of David Crockett, James Bowie and William Barret Travis—the legendary frontiersmen and fighters who met their destiny at the Alamo in one of the most famous and tragic battles in American history—and about what really happened in that battle.
Customer Reviews:
Three legends revealed.......2006-12-14
This book is a very well conceived idea that tries to understand what happened at the Alamo through the eyes of three people. Each provides a different perspective to life in Texas and life in the United States in the time period leading up to the Alamo. A crook like Bowie has fled from land speculations schemes and is trying to make a name for himself in Texas. Travis has abandoned his family and gone to make an honest life and escape the debt he built up. Finally we have David Corckett the hero of Tennessee who has lost elections and patience with Andrew Jackson heading to Texas. All of these three have led colorful lives with Crockett being the most interesting. This book serves as a biography to all three while describing the importance of the Alamo to Texas. It is very well done and you find yourself going through the book very quickly. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in understanding what life looked like in the United States in the years leading up to the Alamo.
Glimpse behind the glory.......2006-10-23
William Davis, best known for his excellent works on the American War Between the States (oh, alright, "Civil War" if you insist) delves into the Texas Revolution with this work, and presents historians with an excellent glimpse at the three principal figures of the Alamo Siege. This triple biography gives an excellent in-depth look at the careers, motivations, and personal lives of three men on their march to an appointment with destiny.
I highly recommend all of Mr. Davis' works, especially "Deep Waters of the Proud" and "Look Away!"
Depends on what you're looking for.......2006-07-14
Davis is meticulous in his research, teasing from the legends what we know, what can be deduced, what is probable, improbable, and impossible. So, if you want scholarship, an in-depth understanding of the truth, as near as it can be determined, this book is great.
Davis' sketches of the personalities and characters of Crockett, Bowie and Travis were also impressive.
But, IMO, if you want a wallopping page-turner, look elsewhere.
One Road Too Few.......2006-03-27
OK, that is a bit of a negative title, so I want to start off saying that I really enjoyed this book. One of the problems with the story of the Alamo is that it all too often is isolated in the time during the battle and not much of the events and lives of the participants are ever explored. This leaves a story disconnected from all that ran up to it, all that caused it.
William C. Davis does an admirable job assembling the lives of three people who are somewhat elusive in the historical record until their "big day" at the Alamo (even Crocket has his blank spots in his history). It is important info that informs us all why these men were "that" Travis, Crocket and Bowie.
He gives them life in a narrative that quickly moves in a conversational style. Further, he does an admirable job not judging these men on today's more "civilized" standards, allowing us to come to know the men as they were, in their day, without being weighed down by modern approbations and regrettable "social" historical analysis so popular with too many historians.
Now the criticism: As my little review title suggests I feel that there was one road, one equally important, not explored that led to the Alamo. It is a road that is just as important as the other roads Davis explores; that of Travis, Crocket, and Bowie.
It is a road without which the Alamo would not have occurred, propelling the three heroes into American mythology. It is the road traveled by Santa Anna.
Of course, at 587 pages, this tome is already a bit larger than the average popular treatment of any particular historical event and it is probable that Davis struggled to keep the story under one thousand! Still, Santa Anna's journey was just as tumultuous, interesting and central to the story as Travis, Crocket, and Bowie's, and just as important.
Davis admits that he started with the idea of a Bowie bio, so it isn't surprising that he dwelled on Bowie more so than the other two. But, given the re-direction he took with his story a little less on Bowie could have sufficed as the story of Santa Anna was included.
After reading the book, I felt a hole in the story. Why, exactly, did the Mexicans do all they did? Not just during the months preceding the Alamo, but for the decade before. How did Santa Anna get to his position? What drove him to lay siege to the Alamo and that small band of Norteamericanos? I know Santa Anna is not the American hero that the other three are, but where is the hero without the villain?
In any case. This book is highly recommended for anyone wanting a well researched story of the actions and personalities that led up to the Alamo. Even with that one small detraction, I say read it!
By Warner Todd Huston
The Honored Dead.......2006-02-02
"This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
Author William C. Davis does not follow this advise and gives us the true story of these three icons of Texas. We find that aside from Crockett's three successful congressional campaigns and Travis' legal practice in Texas, these heroes were not very successful nor particularly honorable as that term is defined today. Bowie was an unsuccessful con artist who married his Tejano wife for her money and connections, Travis abandoned his pregnant wife in Alabama to evade a warrant for his arrest for debt, and Crockett was long estranged from his second wife at the time of his death. They were not exactly paragons of virtue but in the manner of their deaths they were and are heroes and that should not be forgotten, and Davis does not forget this. I am reminded of a line from another movie, Casablanca, in which Humphrey Bogart says, "They got a lucky break. Yesterday they were just two German clerks. Today they're the 'Honored Dead'." Bowie, Crockett and Travis are Texas' Honored Dead.
Book Description
"One day I blew my nose and half my brains came out." Los Angeles, 1976. David Bowie is holed up in his Bel-Air mansion, drifting into drug-induced paranoia and confusion. Obsessed with black magic and the Holy Grail, he's built an altar in the living room and keeps his fingernail clippings in the fridge. There are occasional trips out to visit his friend Iggy Pop in a mental institution. His latest album is the cocaine-fuelled Station To Station (Bowie: "I know it was recorded in LA because I read it was"), which welds R&B rhythms to lyrics that mix the occult with a yearning for Europe, after three mad years in the New World.
Bowie has long been haunted by the angst-ridden, emotional work of the Die Brucke movement and the Expressionists. Berlin is their spiritual home, and after a chaotic world tour, Bowie adopts this city as his new sanctuary. Immediately he sets to work on Low, his own expressionist mood-piece.
Customer Reviews:
Low is a Bowie high point ..........2007-09-13
Hugo Wilcken does an excellent job of bringing on the ambience of Bowie's world, circa mid 70s, not only focusing on the first disc of the Berlin Trilogy, Low, but capturing the mindset of the world in which Bowie lived, ne full of drugs, Iggy Pop's The Idiot, Station to Station and so much more. Informative, not quite perfect, but too good not to give the full five stars and my personal fave of this series so far.
JCS
Interesting Book.......2007-05-14
Having first listened to this record years ago, and understanding it is among Bowie's best, I found refreshing history bits about the record I never knew about. REcommended read for Bowie fans.
Bring Back Hugo!.......2007-02-08
This is perhaps the finest, most detailed analysis of Bowie's work I've ever read, and I earnestly entreat the author to consider taking on the remainder of the Berlin trilogy albums. In spite of the minor error or three (that's Walter Tevis who wrote The Man Who Fell To Earth, not Travis), this book answers so many questions I've always wanted to ask about "Low"-- which is saying a lot, as this has remained one of the most important albums of all time to my own musical work. Great stuff!
An excellent and fun book.......2006-02-27
Seems quite meticulously researched. (The Amazon description should make some mention of that; it seems unnecessarily vague is describing what the book is.)
I did find 1 minor factual error in the first few pages (it was Gus Dudgeon who produced the "Space Oddity" single, not Paul Buckmaster!).
But given the density of detailed information packed into this relatively small book (culled from a variety of books and music articles published over the past few years), that may be a forgivable offense.
Overall, this book is filled with interesting facts, beginning with the recording of Station to Station, then the actual recording of Low and the beginning of Bowie's Berlin period.
Among other things, the book recounts:
- how various influences (Kraftwerk, Neu!, etc.) actually worked their way onto the album
- how Eno recorded the album's signature drum sound
- some of the strange devices used in the studio to "inspire creativity"
- an insight into Bowie's working methodology at the time
- and generally does a great job of analyzing the album in the context of Bowie's career and mindset
I have found this a very enjoyable read, and I recommend it to all Bowie enthusaists and especially fans of one of Bowie's very best albums, Low.
Best writing yet on Bowie - hands down.......2005-10-01
I would love to hear his take on the rest of the seventies records
Book Description
The Complete David Bowie is the most comprehensive book ever published on one of music's most brilliant, enigmatic, and enduring stars.
The career of David Bowie has been one of the most intriguing in modern rock history. This book chronicles the star's every move—from his first appearance as Davy Jones in the 60s, and his spectacular, gender-bending turn in the 70s as Ziggy Stardust, to his starring roles in films like The Man Who Fell to Earth and The Hunger. This definitive reference also includes a production history and analysis of all Bowie's albums, hundreds of entries on all his songs, and set lists and histories of every live show.
Customer Reviews:
This Review is on Updated Version.......2004-07-27
If you are a Bowie fan, this is must reading. Pegg is extremely accurate, and his accounts of the songs Bowie has written and the stories about how the songs were recorded are fascinating. He does a great job tying Bowie's lyrics and music to places and times in Bowie's life, creating a full picture of all that was happening. The accounts of Bowie's tours and albums are accurate and excellent reading, very concise without being wordy or over the top. To get the complete picture of Bowie the entertainer buy this book. I have been a huge fan of Bowie since 1984 and this is the best book ever done on him.
It�s a great � encyclopedia!!.......2003-06-07
The Complete David Bowie is definitely the best account of Davidýs work, presenting in the first part of the book each and every song he has ever written or sung and continuing with his albums, singles, movies and live appearances.
Donýt get me wrong, Nicolas Pegg has done a great and painstaking job and the book is a great source if youýre going to write a thesis on Bowie(!), but I wouldnýt call it fun reading, mostly because of its structure, which is similar to that of a dictionary or encyclopedia! However, there are many interesting facts and quotes that will draw your attention, and you get to hear the explanation of many of his songs from David! ýe.g. I didnýt know what the theme of Heathen (The Rays) was and why it brought tears to his eyes in one of his concertsý
I think itýs a very good and detailed piece of work, as long as you know what youýre getting!
Itýs a great ý encyclopedia!!!.......2003-06-04
The Complete David Bowie is definitely the best account of David's work, presenting in the first part of the book each and every song he has ever written or sung and continues with his albums, singles, movies and live appearances.
Don't get me wrong, Nicolas Pegg has done a great and painstaking job and the book is a great source if you're going to write a thesis on Bowie(!), but I wouldn't call it fun reading, mostly because of its structure, which is similar to that of a dictionary or encyclopedia! However, there are many interesting facts and quotes that will draw your attention, and you get to hear the explanation of many of his songs from David! -e.g. I didn't know what the theme of Heathen (The Rays) was and why it brought tears to his eyes in one of his concerts...
I think it's a very good and detailed piece of work, as long as you know what you're getting!
The Best Book on Bowie for the serious fan.......2003-02-15
As a collector of Bowie's music, I found this book invaluable. It filled in some gaps in my understanding of the great ones music and cleverly clarifies the evolution process from one Bowie phase to the next.
The book makes reference to many rare and unreleased songs which is vital to a serious collector.
It is written plainly and factually with no hint of worship.
If you are only concerned with Bowie's music then this is the book for you. Essential.
The best.......2002-08-01
The best book about David Bowie, in a non-bio way.
The meat of the book are its song by song chapter, and album by album chapter.
The song by song covers every Bowie song, taking about its form and whats its about.
The album by album chapter covers each album in great detail.
The book also has chapters about Bowie's art, acting, videos, ect. In all it has nearly everything you'll need to know about David Bowie's career.
Book Description
Having outlasted the gag order that was part of their divorce agreement, Angela Bowie produced this memoir of her turbulent life with David.
Customer Reviews:
Where The Bowies Are.......2007-05-30
If you never paid much attention to David Bowie - and I confess I did not - then this kiss and tell by his ex-wife may make trashy reading. She certainly takes you back to the late 60s-early 70s London music scene when creativity seemed to be bursting out all over. Theirs was a sort of marriage of convenience, in this version, with Angie a glorified go-fer, doing anything to promote Bowie's career. She makes him out a cold fish, which is certainly how he looks. Their 'open marriage' meant both were free to dally with whomever they wanted, and she says Bowie dallied with Mick Jagger at least once, gossip that made headlines years back. It seems plausible. This may be the "Angie" in the Stones song, she contends. Bowie's music always left me cold, though a few of his bigger hits have held up. This book is a trippy look back at a time now long gone, though you'll wish you could have at least observed it in full flower.
Dull.......2006-06-07
I wasn't expecting great writing, or an untarnished view of angela's ex, I was expecting a guilty pleasure, a fun read. This book is just dull. Angela is dull, her writing is dull, it was more a book about her, and really, who cares?
So what if Angela Bowie is bitter? Book's a lot of fun ...........2005-09-13
Why do some reviewers care whether Angela Bowie is "bitter?" Does she seem a little bitter? Yes, frequently. Um ... So?
Great stories in this book (my fave involves Led Zeppelin, who come across as average, rather loveable drunks), with an attempt by Bowie to exorcise a demon from a swimming pool running a close second.
A really enjoyable read ... A friend who's met Angela tells me she seemed kind of crazy, but I'd have to say she comes across as a very hurt, somewhat bitter person who also has a few cogent things to say. Take her with a grain of salt.
And all you people working so hard to knock this poor woman ... an average human who probably did indeed have an impact on Bowie's career, in the same way all magical things combine in places and in times to create a special chemistry -- what, are you secretly jealous you didn't marry Bowie or something? Let's hear it for pulling hair. Meow.
Geez
Left me with more questions than it did answers...........2005-07-28
Yes I did love reading this book, and I found it very hard to put it down, but it was not the definitive guide to Mr. Bowie's life that I hoped it would be. I love to read about the musicians that inspire me, and to learn about what was going on in their personal lives when they were making brilliant art, so I thought that by reading a book by someone who was so close to one of my heroes, that she was actually married to him, that it could give me some insights about Mr. Bowie's life, during that time, which other biographies could not. But in the end, I gained more insight into what was going on in Angie's life during their marriage, which was actually quite a separate existence from his life, especially since there were lots of times when they weren't even living in the same place. I guess I shouldn't complain too much because it is a biography about her life as well, but there is often not enough emphasis on what was going on with his life, and the reason for this is because she doesn't seem to know.
I knew that the book probably wouldn't shed any light on his life after the '70s, since him and Angie were divorced by then, but I was surprised by the fact that it hardly gave me any info on his life in the latter half of the '70s. If you want to know what was going on in Bowie's personal life while he was making such innovative albums as Station To Station, Low, Heroes, and Lodger, you are not going to learn it here. She breezes through the mid-late '70s rather quickly, and it seems as if during that time she barely even saw him. Their divorce was finalized in 1980, but their marriage was over long before that. But just because there isn't much insight given into David's personal life during the latter half of the '70s, doesn't mean the reader doesn't learn anything at all about what was going on behind closed doors in his life. Angie does give some good info about him during the late '60s and early '70s, but even when she was spending lots of time with him, like she was during that era, she often felt like a detached observer of his life, much like the reader of this book does.
I guess this review is turning out more negative than I intended it to be, but that doesn't mean I don't recommend the book to other Bowie fans, because I do. Like I mentioned earlier, it is a hard book to put down, especially if you like reading about someone who leads a debaucherous lifestyle, and Angie certainly did. It is widely known that Angie and David had an open marriage, and that both of them lived a swinger lifestyle during the '70s. Angie does believe that David was bisexual, at least during that time, despite the fact that since then it has been argued that he never actually was bisexual, and she claims that she was and still is bisexual herself. So because of the open marriage and her bisexuality, explicit sex plays a large part in this book, and it certainly can get steamy. There is all the sex you could want, as well as drugs and Rock 'N Roll, including lots of Rock Star gossip, in general, not just gossip about David Bowie. If you like reading such gossip, then you will definitely enjoy all the namedropping she does, as well as the little tangents that she goes on about experiences she had with famous musicians like: Lou Reed, Keith Moon of The Who, Mick Jagger, Led Zepplin, Elton John, and others. Surprisingly, there wasn't anything to learn about Marc Bolan or Iggy Pop though, and I hoped there would be. One of the drummers of T.Rex is mentioned since Angie had a fling with him, but Bolan isn't mentioned at all, and the Stooges are mentioned, since Angie had flings with two of the members, but hardly anything is said about Iggy, and I found it odd that such important figures in David's life would be ignored. There is also no mention of Roxy Music, except for a brief story about how Bryan Ferry crashed on the Bowies' couch after a party once, and no mention of Brian Eno at all, which I guess makes sense since Eno was a profound influence on David's late '70s career, and Angie was pretty much out of the picture by that time. But yeah, this book is definitely not the place to look if you want to learn about how David's Glam Rock contemporaries affected his life, and I think it has to do with the fact that Angie herself was more so interested in meeting, hanging out and/or having sex with Rock Stars whom had been famous since the '60s and/or weren't involved with Glam at all.
Ok, so now you are probably wondering what kind of stuff you will actually learn about David Bowie's personal life if you read the book, since I've told you all the stuff that you won't learn. Well there are some interesting insights into how Bowie's childhood, as well as his family life, has affected him as an adult, or at least the part of his adult life which Angie was involved in. You also learn quite a bit about two of Bowie's early managers, Ken Pitt and Tony DeFries, and how they shaped his career. There is also an interesting cast of characters that the Bowies were spending time with while David was on his way to becoming famous, and you learn how these people affected their lives, as well as his career. You learn about all the things that Angie did to help him become famous, and she claims to have done a lot for his early career, but whether you decide she's giving herself too much credit, is up to you. Like I mentioned before, there is tons of sex in this book, and you learn from Angie whether she thinks David was good in bed. You also learn alot about who they both were having affairs with, although none of them were really surprising to me, especially where David is concerned. I was hoping of learning about a juicy affair he may have had with Iggy Pop, since the movie Velvet Goldmine has one take place between the characters that are based on Pop and Bowie, but if there ever was one, Angie does not mention it at all. She does mention what may have happened in the sheets between David and Mick Jagger though, but I didn't really care for that part, especially since I find the idea of him being with Iggy Pop far more sexy and intriguing.
Another person who I thought I'd learn more about would be Mick Ronson, and you do learn a bit about him early on in the book when David is putting together the Spiders From Mars, and when he first starts playing with them, but after Angie mentions David's sudden breaking up of that band, at that famous Hammersmith Odeon show in 1973, no more is to be heard. The breaking up of the Spiders is not just a turning point for David's career, but it was also a turning point for their marriage, because after that event, Angie's knowledge of what was going on in David's personal life starts to get more and more vague. It is during the time before 1973, that she gives the most insight into David's creative process, and I did find that to be fascinating. You do learn quite a bit about what was going on behind the scenes when The Man Who Sold The World was recorded, and I really enjoyed that part, but she doesn't tell you as much about what circumstances surrounded the recordings of the albums after that. So, if you are looking to find out what inspired Bowie to write every song on an album like The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, don't look here, because she will not tell you. Instead, she gives glimpses of what may have inspired him to do certain creative things during the early '70s, and you do get a peak into how he actually went about writing some of his songs, but the only person who really could tell you what he was thinking when he wrote Suffragette City, for example, would be David himself. And unfortunately he hasn't written an extremely personal biography like this about his own life yet, but I really wish he would hurry up and do that. Then I could have the answers to many of the questions which Angie's book left with me, and get his side of the story on their marriage, which is something I definitely wanted to know about after I finished the book, but until then I will just have to settle with hers. It is a pretty good read to settle with though, and despite the fact that it left me with more questions than it did answers, I still recommend it to other Bowie fans. If you are the kind of fan that wants to know what was going on in his personal life before and during the Ziggy era, then Angie will give you an idea. It may not be the complete picture, but since that cannot be known until David writes his own tell all book, this might just be good enough to tide you over for awhile.
Bitter celebrities make for best sellers and coffee talk.......2005-07-28
I picked up this book for the same reason everyone else did: I wanted the inside dirt. I give it two stars for these 2 reasons only: the first (and more important) is because it was a fine writing project, the second was for celebrity dirt, which is just a piece of fluff. There is an expression out there called "Sex, drugs, and rock n'roll", and people always want to know those things about you whether you're the CEO of a corporation, a ditch digger, or the President of the United States. IN THAT ORDER, I might add. And we got all that and more with the ex Mrs. Bowie.
Angela is a bitter woman despite all the free spirited ideals and lifestyle choices she spouts, and there is more than a hint of jealousy that David got to be famous and more beloved than she. It's a creative writing project full of name dropping and naughty whispers, and maybe what really happened wasn't all that exciting, but there's just enough to leave us thinking it could've been. Some people have had very successful careers being hangers-on and keeping up hype about themselves, and Angie was one of them. She wrote and sold a book to make people talk at their cocktail parties. She's just a little irked that she's not being invited to the A list parties these days, but guess what? You hang around the places you do and the people you do because they make you feel cool, but you're not all that cool.
If you're looking for insights into David's music (what influenced him to make music, write, produce, etc.), you won't find it here. Buy his albums, not this book. I love David, I love David's music in all evolutionary stages through the years, but there's only so many times you can hear a story about his being caught in bed with so-and-so before it gets old. I love him because of his art, not because of who he was or wasn't doing the nasty with. Should any of my former lovers write a book about me, people will talk, but that's all it is. Talk. Hope Angie turned a healthy profit, because this is what she left for posterity. David, however, gave us so much more.
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- What'd I Say: The Atlantic Story
- What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science, Stage 2)
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- Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?: Inspiring Stories for Welcoming Life's Difficulties
- Work Hard, Have Fun, Make Money: The Tractor Supply Story
- 12: The Elements of Great Managing
- A Lifetime To Get Here: Diana Ross: The American Dreamgirl
- A Mammal's Notebook: Collected Writings of Erik Satie (Atlas Arkhive , No 5)
- A New Owner's Guide to Yorkshire Terriers (JG Dog)
- Always Talk to Strangers: 3 Simple Steps to Finding the Love of Your Life
Books Index
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